Bait hook and complemental gaff hooks



y 1951 L. s. PENNINGER ,5

I BAIT HOOK AND COMPLEMENTAL GAFF HOOKS Filed Dec. 30, 1949 *1 6 as 54 30 14' \J 24 4 \i:

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52 /4 44 38 26/6 42 3 Luther 5. Penn/'nge'r INVENTOR.

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Patented July 10, 1951 BAIT HOOK AND COMPLEMENTAIJGAFF fHOOKS Luther. S. Benninger, Raleigh, N 0.

Application becember 30, 1949',senia1 No: 1-35;934

Thezzpresent' 'inventioniarelates' -to zan= ianglers .hookxconstruction wherein the over-jall rassemblagezistcharacterized. by; a:suitably centered bait carrying; hook :and: complemental pullzzactuated gaff hooks and the principal:obiect'zofithednven-5;.5

: tr-ating certa-inspfiethe particulars.

tion is to structurally, functionally and otherwise--improve prr fishhook -constructions in the so-called traphookufield- It is a matter-of common-knowledge to those skil=ledcincthe.Lartto whichcthe invention relates #210 r that the category of inventionsxwhichuhave been conveniently classified as trap hooks is made up of many*and v-ari'ed -styles' -and forms of fishin ehooks. It is admittedlyfgold in thisalinetof aendeavoristo employ a plurality of zexpandingaiw :trap ahooks. of the pull actuated-type. -'--In-";most instancesthe essential element-is theabait'z hook which:- latter is taken by-=the--.fish andswhich --serv es.; to trip or otherwise release the gafiphooks.

-.-Briefly.. summarized, the instant invention? has to do with a coiled spring, a bait hook, novel link means operatively joining the shank of the bait hook to an end of the coiled spring, a mount in which the coiled spring is housed, and especially constructed and arranged gaff or grappling hooks which are pivotally mounted on and controlled by the action of the link means.

In reducing to practice a preferred embodime 1 i of the over-all construction, I have evolved and produced a simple and practical structure in which, it is believed, manufacturers and users will find their most desired needs fully met, contained and conveniently available.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a link which serves to mechanically join an assembled bait hook on a coiled spring, said link having the additional function of a gaff resetting and retaining member and, in addition, a gafi tripping and thrust producing member.

In addition to the above, novelty is predicated on the mounting, which takes the form of a U- shaped frame, and is attachable to the end of the fishing line and which serves as an excellent carrier and mount for the spring, link, bait hook and, in addition, a practical support for the diametrically opposite long range gaff hooks.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bait hook and complemental gaff hooks constructed in accordance'; withthmpresentdnventieim showing, the normal. =-relationship-r 0ft pants in. fulli;..@linesr=-and partly. projected:epositienswimdotted lines- Figure' 2;, is an --.ienlar g ed@ -fragmer tary. rview, partly; [in sectio and- .=partly.--in.- elevation; villus- Figure 3-, is a. perspective y-iew-. of the; novel trip link-withibait hook-appearing? n'edottedialines.

Figuretisis-ga l fragmentar perspective; view -.based,-.on-sEigure .1 Sh0Wi ng;' the stage of fmeration wherein the pull actuated link is shown exertin ;asthrustipressure:.onrtheti afifshooks.

-- Referrin -anew -toz--theaerawingspandeparticudarly tQFigure 2,gthetcoiled springjisdenoted ;by

thernumeral Beandhasrits uppermostconvolution extended.;,into. a..-shank. 8 terminating ,r-inrr at -line to accommodate a resetting,and trip-linkJ4. The latter is suitably elongated and is provided at its upper end with an attachin eye l6 which is releasably connected with the adapter hook l2 and provided at its lower end with an assembling eye l8 through which the shank 20 of the bait hook 22 is passed. The eye 24 on the shank is anchored on the upper transverse end portion 26 of the trip link 14. The lower transverse end portion, the trip proper, is denoted by the numeral 28.

The means for assembling and pivotally mounting the gaff hook takes the form of a frame 30 which is a U-shaped flat metal strap having a bight portion 32 and spaced parallel arms or sides 34 and 36 respectively. The arms are of duplicate construction and have their free ends fashioned into outstanding laterally disposed terminals 38 and 40. Each terminal is the same in construction and includes an; aperture 42 and has a notch 44 in its free end portion.

The gaff hooks are denoted by the numerals 46 and 48 respectively. Each hook has an elongated limb portion 50 with an eye 52 at one end and a barbed hook 54 at the opposite snaring end. These limbs are disposed in crossed relation as shown in the drawings and the eyes 52 are attached to the coacting apertured terminals 38 and 40 respectively, as best shown in Figure 2.

This is the position which they have in Figures 1 and 2. As best shown in Figure 2 the link l4 acts as a sort of stirrup and the spring 6 pulls the link up into the frame 30 and in turn saddles itself around the crossed portions or limbs of the gaff hooks, thus causing them to take the ready-to-function position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2.

In practice when the bait hook 20 is pulled by the fish, it exerts a downward pull on the link l4 causing it to extend beyond the frame 30 and to put the spring 6 under tension. The intermediate position of the bait hook, link and gafi hooks is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The stirrup portion of the link l4 serves to do the lifting and opening of the gaff hooks 46 and 48 and when some four or five pounds pressure is exerted on the bait hook 22 the upper transverse portion 26 of the link comes into play,

functions as a thrust element and lodges itself in the crotch provided by the crossed limbs 5050 of the gaff hooks all as shown in Figures 1 and. 4, respectively. When the latter operation (Figure 4-) takes place the gafi hooks are driven or impaled in the victim, in an obvious manner, and the catch is virtually assured. Changes in' shape, size, materials and reararrangement of details and parts maybe resorted to in actual practice, provided they do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims, as is well understood.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. Ina fishhook construction of the class shown and described, a coiled spring having a line attaching eye at one end, a trip link attached to the opposite end of said coiled spring, a bait hook attached to said trip link, a pair of gaff hooks, said gaff hooks having portions passing, in crossed relation, through said trip link, and means pivotally mounting corresponding ends of the gaff hooks on said coiled spring.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, wherein said means is in the form of a yoke-like frame.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, wherein said means is in the form of a yoke-like frame and wherein the spring is anchored in the frame and said gafi hooks are hingedly attached to said frame. a

4. A fishing hook construction of the class shown and described comprising a coiled spring having a line eye at one end, an elongated link connected to the opposite end of said spring, said link being of general rectangular form and having transverse end portions and being provided at least at one end with a hookassembling eye, a bait hook having a shank passing through said last-named eye and connected to one transverse end portion end of said link, a substantially U-shaped frame, said coiled spring bein located and monuted in said frame, and a pair of gafi' hooks having relatively long limb portions provided at their inner ends with hinging eyes, said hinging eyes being hingedly connected with the sides of said frame, said limbs being cries-crossed and passing in opposite directions through the opening of said link.

LUTHER S. PENNINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

